10 Best TNA Wrestling Returns

Someone should really check Impact Wrestling for Time Lord DNA, because the promotion has regenerated countless times over its long history.

NWA-TNA, TNA, Global Force Wrestling, IMPACT and now back to TNA, the company has had as many names as Ed Leslie at this point, and it’s still going today, in spite of everything.

Part of the reason why it’s survived is because it’s provided fans with dozens of memorable moments, many of them coming in the form of big returns. Whether it was a full-on return to the promotion or just their first appearance on TV for a few months, all of these moments were significant for the company and got a great reaction from the crowd… apart from the one in this list that happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These are the 10 best TNA Wrestling returns ever.

10. Velvet Sky - IMPACT - December 6, 2012

During an in-ring segment featuring TNA Knockouts World Champion Tara, prospective challenger Mickie James, and Jessie Godderz (who was just sort of there), the familiar music of one of the company’s most famous female stars began blaring over the loudspeakers.

Out stepped Velvet Sky, a former Knockouts Champion in her own right and one-third of the legendary stable The Beautiful People.

Sky hadn’t been seen in the promotion for five months after the two sides failed to agree on terms for a new contract. After spending some time on the indies, she was now back and had her eyes firmly fixed on Tara’s belt.

Velvet would end up winning the Knockouts Title for a second time during this run and would even get The Beautiful People back together.

It was a fantastic second go around for Sky and one that all started with three iconic performers all standing in the ring together.

9. Samoa Joe - IMPACT - April 19, 2010

On this episode of IMPACT, a team of wrestlers selected by Ric Flair battled a team of wrestlers selected by Hulk Hogan.

Hogan’s squad had a mystery member that would be revealed on the night itself. When the buzzer went off, the mystery partner showed himself to be none other than Samoa Joe.

Joe made his way to the ring to a great ovation and got the winning pinfall in this match. But why had he been gone for the past couple of months?

Vince Russo wrote a storyline for Joe that involved him being kidnapped by masked ninjas. The writer’s original plan was to have Jimmy Snuka of all people be revealed as the mastermind behind the abduction, but instead Joe was brought back without any explanation after Russo realised he needed more babyfaces.

A great return, if somewhat hampered by such a bizarre build-up.

8. Bobby Roode - IMPACT - June 19, 2014

Bobby Roode is one of TNA Wrestling’s greatest-ever stars.

Before he was in WWE, he was part of the tag team Beer Money Inc. alongside James Storm, and he previously held the record for the longest single TNA World Championship reign in history.

His status as a megastar was confirmed when he made this big comeback to square off against a fellow Bobby in Bobby Lashley.

The modern-day All Mighty had just beaten Eric Young for the world title and him and his stablemates Kenny King and MVP continued the beatdown after the final bell.

When it looked like all hope was lost for Young, Roode made his triumphant return through the crowd to save his buddy. He’d been serving a kayfabe suspension after he had attacked MVP, who was in a storyline position of power at the time.

No amount of paperwork was going to stop Roode on this night, though, as the crowd lit up when they saw him take down King in the middle of the ring.

7. AJ Styles - IMPACT - March 14, 2013

Prior to this episode of IMPACT from March 2013, AJ looked like your typical all-American male. He had short hair, was clean-shaven, and had a jawline so sharp you could cut vegetables with it.

This all changed when he made his big comeback against Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian. Two-thirds of SCU were putting the boots to James Storm after the cowboy beat Daniels in a match. They were stopped by a returning Styles, who hadn’t been seen since he’d lost to Daniels at the previous year’s Final Resolution Pay-Per-View.

But this was not the same AJ that fans were used to - this one was wearing a hoodie, had grown his hair out, and had a beard!

This return marked a huge change in AJ’s character. Gone was the plucky babyface with the baby’s face and here was the edgy heel that would eventually take over Bullet Club, join WWE, and rule the wrestling world.

6. AJ Styles - Lockdown 2011

Due to the success of the first Lockdown show, at which every single match was contested inside a cage, TNA kept doing the show over and over again.

At this particular Lockdown in 2011, two of the most prominent factions in TNA at the time clashed in the main event.

Fortune, the faction of Christopher Daniels, James Storm, Kazarian, and Robert Roode battled Immortal, the stable consisting of Ric Flair, Abyss, Bully Ray, and Matt Hardy in a vicious Lethal Lockdown Match.

Immortal, the heels, seemed to have the victory in hand, with Bully Ray about to smash Daniels’ head in with a kendo stick. This bald-on-bald violence was prevented by a returning Styles, who Bully had powerbombed off a stage a month earlier. Styles saved his good friend Daniels and helped Fortune pick up the win, sending the crowd home happy.

Although he would have looked much better if he hadn’t got half of his shirt stuck whilst trying to rip it off.

5. Austin Aries - IMPACT - February 1, 2018

Making a comeback to a promotion is one thing, but winning their world title the night of said comeback? That’s a whole other level.

That’s exactly what happened when Austin Aries made his IMPACT return in early 2018. After being released by WWE about six months previously, Aries returned to his former home after nearly three years away.

Sunglasses on and bandana in hand, The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived - his words - got into the ring and confronted world champion Eli Drake. Aries was going through his belt collector phase, rocking up in different promotions around the world and winning championships.

He challenged the future LA Knight to a match for the gold then and there, which they had in their street clothes. This didn’t matter, though, because Aries ended the night with a brand-new accessory, winning the impromptu match and adding the IMPACT World Championship to his toy box.

A shocking return, a shocking match, and a shocking title change all in one night.

4. Christian Cage - Slammiversary 2012

In 2012, TNA celebrated its tenth birthday with a special edition of their Slammiversary pay-per-view.

The show was stacked with top-tier matches including AJ Styles and Kurt Angle teaming up against Bad Influence and Bobby Roode vs Sting for the world title.

Perhaps the most notable appearance on the night came from a man not even signed with TNA at the time.

Former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Christian Cage made his first appearance in TNA for three-and-a-half years. He was there to announce the number one moment in TNA history, but history was actually being made then and there as Christian was the WWE Intercontinental Champion at the time.

Cage had been allowed to appear for TNA on the condition that WWE could have Ric Flair (who was signed to TNA at the time) so that the Nature Boy could get inducted into the Hall of Fame that year.

Considering that WWE had never acknowledged the existence of the rival company on its programming, the fact that one of their wrestlers, their champions, was on a TNA pay-per-view was big news.

Another classic moment from the Instant Classic.

3. Jeff Hardy - IMPACT - January 4, 2010

The January 4, 2010 edition of IMPACT was quite possibly the biggest show the company had ever put on to that point.

Not only did it announce the arrival of Hulk Hogan, but it was also the first episode of IMPACT to go head-to-head with WWE Raw.

Another huge moment to go on this episode was the return of a favourite from the early days of the company. During a Steel Asylum Match, Jeff Hardy made his way through the audience to a stunned ovation from the crowd.

This was The Charismatic Enigma’s first appearance for TNA since 2006 and he had just come off the back of a highly successful run in WWE, having spent much of 2009 in the world title picture.

Hardy’s return was viewed as a huge get for TNA and a valuable asset in the upcoming battle with WWE.

Whilst we all know how this turned out, at least we’ll always have this moment to look back on with fondness.

2. Eric Young - Slammiversary 2020

The first round of WWE’s pandemic-induced “budget cuts” was brutal.

Over 20 active wrestlers were let go in a world where very few wrestling companies were able to run shows. It was a totally heartless decision and drew appropriate criticism from across the wrestling world.

However, one name who managed to bounce back was former TNA World Champion Eric Young.

The ex-leader of SAnitY was one of the many people released from WWE in April 2020, but fans only needed to wait three months to see him back in a prominent position.

EY made his surprise return to the promotion at their Slammiversary 2020 event, inserting himself into the five-way for the vacant world championship. Despite not winning the match, Young had immediately re-established himself as a main event player with his new, more deranged persona. He would be the next person to hold the gold.

Young went on to play a huge part in TNA going forward with his Violent By Design stable and he remains a part of the promotion to this day following another brief run with WWE.

1. Sting - IMPACT - March 8, 2010

Between his stints working for WCW and AEW, The Man Called Sting was one of the biggest and brightest stars TNA Wrestling had to offer.

He was a multiple-time world champion for the company, was their first-ever Hall of Fame inductee, and gave TNA fans dozens of incredible moments to remember.

Case in point, this return on a 2010 episode of Impact. When the lights went down during a match pitting Hulk Hogan and Abyss against Ric Flair and AJ Styles, fans lost their minds. They lost them even more when they came back up and The Icon was stood in the ring.

Their cheers soon turned to boos though, as Sting then turned heel and attacked Hogan and Abyss.

This began a huge heel run for Sting and took his career in an exciting new direction. In terms of surprise factor, fan reaction at the time, and storyline ramifications, the Stinger’s big return in 2010 is just as iconic as the man himself.